End Of Year Round Up - July / September

July

The Beastie Boys are the brats of rap, three hip hop icons who never quite left the troubled teens. Set to return this summer with their new album ‘Hot Sauce Committee’ the band confirmed details of a new tour, the first in some time. With fans counting down the days until the release, Beastie Boys suddenly dropped a bombshell – Adam Yauch / MCA had cancer. Undergoing immediate hospital treatment the rap star is now said to be on the mend. However with ‘Hot Sauce Committee’ being pulled from the shelves it seems as it Beastie Boys comeback is farther away than ever.

T In The Park – Scotland’s biggest festival and one of the stand out names on the European circuit. Returning in 2009 the enormous three-day event brought together the talents of Friendly Fires, Franz Ferdinand, Foals and other acts whose name does not begin with ‘f’. Take Blur for example: the Britpop pioneers completed their comeback shows with a headline set, with guitarist Graham Coxon charging straight from hospital after undergoing a nasty bout of food poisoning. The sun sets, dreams are made and countless hits are played as Balado goes absolutely mental.

August

2009 has seen the return of the supergroup. The Dead Weather, Sweethead, Monsters Of Folk and more have seen some of the best-loved names in music join forces. Perhaps the pinnacle of these was the emergence of rock trio Them Crooked Vultures – containing the talents of Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age and Led Zeppelin. Huge chunks of rock riffery abounds on the trio’s debut album, with their secretive early shows demonstrating that it is still possible to achieve a sense of mystery in the digital age.

Taking place almost a century ago, the First World War can at times seem remote. The flickering frames of silent film showing forgotten armies marching to an unimaginably horrific war zone are often all we have to remind us of the sacrifice of countless millions. In June British lost its last veteran, the humble soldier Harry Patch. As a tribute Radiohead released a track devoted to his memory, using words Patch himself coined to describe the experience of warfare. What could have become mawkish in the wrong hands became a towering tribute to one of Britain’s darkest moments.

Bob Dylan is one of the most iconic poets in rock. Recognisable to millions, the singer recently returned with his new album ‘Together Through Life’. Touring in New Jersey the singer decided to go for a stroll – in the rain – in one of the area’s more neglected regions. Arrested by police after being found loitering outside one person’s home, it is said that officers simply didn’t recognise him. Theories abound as to the purpose of Dylan’s visit, with a fan-boy excursion to Bruce Springsteen’s teenage home amongst the more plausible.

September

The Mercury Music Prize can generate more column inches than a three way barney between Pete Doherty, Katie Price and Peter Andre. Last year’s winners Elbow were pushed into the stratosphere, with their album ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ selling some 300,000 copies. Regarded as a rank outside, British hip hop starlet Speech Debelle scooped the award in emotional circumstances. Amongst those celebrating were label Ninja Tune, who had worked tirelessly to promote a very unique new talent. However little over a month later the relationship had gone sour – Speech Debelle split from her contract, alleging that failures in the Ninja Tune distribution network has prevented her from consolidating her success.

Kanye West is a nut job. A complete, total nutter. A bloke whose marbles have long since departed, leaving behind a series of confused notions on awards show etiquette. Enraged that close friend Beyonce had been overlooked, the rap titan stormed the stage at the MTV VMAs spawning one of the year’s most talked about incidents. The world lined up to have a go at poor ol’ Kanye with even President Obama getting in on the act.

In a year of bad news, controversy and heaving obituary columns a few slices of optimism stand out. Foremost amongst these: the Pavement re-union. One of the most influential and best loved groups of their generation, the band missed out on the indie boom they helped spark. Next year’s shows should see the California dons given their due, as Pavement prepare for an emotional return.